Uechi-Ryu.com

This is Dave Young's Forum. Can you really bridge the gap between reality and training? Between traditional karate and real world encounters? Absolutely, we will address in this forum why this transition is necessary and critical for survival, and provide suggestions on how to do this correctly. So come in and feel welcomed, but leave your egos at the door!

This may or may not be a "Tough Issue", but it certainly is a "Tough topic"...

And evidently, according to reports, the teachers, staff, and administrators knew it was happening and did nothing.

What do YOU think should be done?
What do YOU think should HAVE been done?
What are YOUR thoughts on this?

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (CBS/AP) Nine teenagers face charges for allegedly hounding and harassing 15-year-old Irish immigrant Phoebe Prince, bullying her to the point where she hanged herself to end her misery.

Out of the nine teens, two boys are charged with statutory rape and they and a clique of girls are facing charges including stalking, criminal harassment and violating Phoebe's civil rights.

School officials are not charged even though authorities say they knew the girl was being bullied and they didn't stop the harassment even after Prince's mother came to two of them with her concerns.

Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel said the events before the teen's death on Jan. 14 were "the culmination of a nearly three-month campaign of verbally assaultive behavior and threats of physical harm" widely known among the student body.

The 15-year-old was insulted and threatened almost from her first day at South Hadley High School, bullying her in the halls, library and through text messages. Prince was harassed for having a short relationship with a popular boy in school.

On the day she hung herself, Prince was pelted with a beverage container and cursed at as she walked home from school.

Scheibel said the harassment began in September, occurring primarily in school and in person, although some of it surfaced on Facebook and in other electronic forms. At least four students and two faculty members intervened to try to stop it or report it to administrators, she said.

Prince's family has since moved away from the area.

Some students accused of participating in the bullying have been disciplined by the school and will not be returning to classes.

My thoughts are that peer pressure (positive) is the only effective means to reduce such unfortunate occurrence. Many great young adults in our schools...many whom may be able to address an issue that we certainly failed to address during our youth. Face it...we all for the most part allowed it or turned our heads when we were young.
This link to me is an example of the direction needed...I hope these initiatives are encouraged and expanded upon.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2007/09/18/pink-tshirts-students.html

There is no excuse for them to behave so cruelly to another human being.

What did she do that would make them so hostile toward her?

Was it because she was different? She was foreign? Because she was dating someone they liked or didn't like? Not her fault.

"Kids will be kids" well no, they are not kids. They can have sex, use guns, hold a job. We let them act like this and think it's acceptable. I just dont get it. A friend of mine ended up dating a girl i really liked. I was still friends with him, he had no idea i liked her. Happed twice. Not a reason to ruin the dudes life, or even break friendship.

How the hell was she to know some ho liked the same guy? Kids are stupid. Wait, they are not kids.

Bullying has always gotten me riled up. I have never treated anyone like that after i was older then 13, and even before then i always apologized a few minutes after saying something mean.

The taunting started when she had a brief relationship with a popular senior boy; some students reportedly called her an “Irish slut,” knocked books out of her hands and sent her threatening text messages, day after day.